A social anthropologist by training, Janaka is an Associate Professor in Community Wellbeing at the Department of Health Sciences, University of York, UK. His work has a particular focus on understanding wellbeing of communities within uncertainty and dangers of life presented by disasters, conflicts, and uneven development. His pioneering work on concepts of care and wellbeing has influenced the policy and practice of the global humanitarian and development intervention discourse. Janaka teaches courses on humanitarianism, international protection and assistance, communities in humanitarian affairs and multicultural elements of care and wellbeing in midwifery, nursing, public health, and humanitarian affairs programmes.